Tulip Time Festival

The day after Scott and I recorded our first couple of podcasts we traveled with family to Pella, Iowa for their annual Tulip Time Festival. The festival celebrates Pella's Dutch heritage with traditional attire, food, attractions and, of course, hundreds of thousands of tulips. Due to Coronavirus some of the activities where not happening this year but it was still good to be outside for a little while. Even better because it was with family.

The weather was just about perfect. I cannot help but feel like God wanted us to enjoy a small part of His creation. The tulips are beyond beautiful. The sky was blue, and the clouds were puffy and white. The aroma of the flowers was pleasant and everyone I noticed seemed to be enjoying some freedom outside. I was happy to see that the spirit of fear that has controlled many during this outbreak situation was giving them a break. Even if just for a few moments. I find it interesting that the entire time we were there the weather was nice but as soon as we got back into our hometown it started raining and got super windy and cold. Thank you, God for blessing our time there so we could enjoy rest in Your creation.

While I was there, I started thinking about God and I concluded that He is the best artist ever! I mean He not only created art but also His creation truly has amazing beauty in it. When I see the sky or a scenic place, I can’t help but imagine God painting it for us. Human painters, writers, musicians, photographers, and pretty much all artists try to capture something for their audience that God already painted or designed. Take the tulips for example. I tried my best to take some pictures of them while I was there. When I was reviewing the pictures, I thought some of them were simply great. I took the pictures and then shared them on Facebook with the hopes that others would enjoy looking at their beauty.

So, I capture something, but the Tulips were designed by God long before I thought it would be fun to take a picture of them to share. I took some close-up pictures too and when you really start to examine something like this you can see that the beauty of creation is in every little detail. God blessed us with some absolutely gorgeous things in His creation.

Psalms 1O4:24-25 (The Passion Translation)

Lord, what an amazing variety of all you have created!

Wild and wonderful is this world you have made,

while wisdom was there at your side.

This world is full of so many creatures, yet each belongs to you!

And then there is the sea! So vast! So wide and deep—

swarming with countless forms of sea life, both small and great.

Some people will say that there is no God and all of creation happened by cosmic chance. I would argue that a tulip or anything else in creation is evidence of a creator and His design. If someone looks at the picture, I took they know that there was a picture taker. The evidence is the picture. They never had to meet me to know that there was a picture taker. I say the same applies to creation. I can look at the tulip and know that someone designed it. If you look at a building you know there was a builder. Some buildings are hundreds of years old and there is no way we can meet the builder, but we still know there had to be one. So, the evidence is creation. There was a creator because there is a creation.

Romans 1:20 (The Passion Translation) - Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance, because from the creation of the world, the invisible qualities of God’s nature have been made visible, such as his eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceived, for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible. So then, this leaves everyone without excuse.

Since I was a young boy, I have appreciated the beauty around us. There have been times that I have been astonished by the beauty of creation. I am an avid sky watcher and day or night the sky always intrigues me. Even when I was not seeking a relationship with God there was always something special to me about the sky. I remember the first time I was reading Scripture and made the connection that the sky was a testament to God. All those times I spent lost in awe and wonder at the sky I was seeing His testament. He was showing me who He is!

Psalms 19:1-4 (The Passion Translation)

God’s splendor is a tale that is told;

his testament is written in the stars.

Space itself speaks his story every day

through the marvels of the heavens.

His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky,

showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.

Each day gushes out its message to the next,

night with night whispering its knowledge to all.

Without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard,

Yet all the world can see its story.

Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.

I still have so much growing to do on my journey and so many things to learn about God and His purpose for my life. I am continually in awe at what He has created, who He is, and how He has got me to where I am today. One thing I know for sure is that He is God and He is love. I know sometimes darkness can seep its way into the world but when that happens, I want to remember the beautiful things. I want to remember that God has written His story in the sky. I want to remember that there will someday be victory and celebration and someday the creation will be perfect again with nothing ugly in it.

Revelation 21:1-4 (The Passion Translation) - Then in a vision I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending out of the heavenly realm from the presence of God, like a pleasing bride that had been prepared for her husband, adorned for her wedding. And I heard a thunderous voice from the throne, saying:

“Look! God’s tabernacle is with human beings.

And from now on he will tabernacle with them as their God.

Now God himself will have his home with them—

‘God-with-them’ will be their God!

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes

and eliminate death entirely.

No one will mourn or weep any longer.

The pain of wounds will no longer exist,

for the old order has ceased.”

I pray that God shows all our listeners some beautiful things. Thank you for supporting us as we chase after a relationship with God the Artist!

And remember this is “Not About Us”!